Worthy
by Skyrvy
Summary: In the midst of battle, Corrin notices an archer targeting Jakob, and the only way she can to save him in time is to take the arrow instead. Fear not, there's a happy ending... Fire Emblem If/Fates Jakob/Joker/Corrin/Kamui fanfiction
1. Chapter 1

We're in the midst of a heated battle. Enemies surround us. We're fighting with everything we've got, but I don't know if it will be enough. I don't know if we can win. I push back a foe, and plunge Yato through him. He gasps, gurgles, blood dripping from his lips. I pull my sword from him, and he collapses to the ground, finished. The next moment, another takes his place.

I'm cut and bleeding in a dozen different places, but I barely have a chance to notice. I don't even feel the pain. I've gone numb. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know I'll feel it later, even if I'm healed by a festal, the ghost of the wounds will flare up and ache for a while until they're healed completely.

But there's nothing I can do except keep fighting. Keep fighting and hope I survive.

When I am victorious again with another lifeless body at my feet, I finally have a chance to pause, gasping for breathing, yato gleaming red. For the moment, I'm safe. I look around me to see if everyone's ok. If anyone needs help. Nearby are my family and comrades waging battles of their own. Seeing that they have their situations under control, my gaze searches for someone in particular. Jakob. I know he'll be nearby. He's always nearby.

My loyal protector.

When I don't immediately spot him, I panic and spin, searching. Finally I see him a short distance off, slashing a foe with his dagger. I sigh with relief that he's relatively ok. I'm about to turn again when my eye catches something. I freeze and look again. There! In the cover of trees, an archer, his gaze turned towards Jakob.

Before I know what I'm doing, I'm running. "Jakob!" I screech, but he doesn't hear me. He dodges his opponent's slash and returns one of his own. I look back into the trees, and again find the archer. He's raising his bow. I won't be in time. I'm not going to make it! I put everything I've got into running. I have to make it. _I have to make it_. The archer nocks an arrow and pulls back the string. I'm almost there. My eyes twitch back to Jakob just as he finishes off his enemy. "Jakob!" Again I yell his name, and I'm close enough this time for him to hear me. He turns, but I'm looking into the trees just as the archer releases his arrow. I scream, and throw myself in front of Jakob. The arrow hits my stomach. I sprawl across the dirt with a cry of pain, fire roaring through my veins, blackness flickering at the edges of my vision. I fight to remain conscious as time slows to a crawl, my blood seeping into the earth.

There's… there's ringing in my ears. Somewhere nearby I hear a tortured cry, but it's muffled by the ringing. I know that voice. Who's voice is that? I look up, and see Jakob hurling his dagger into the trees. I blink. So, so slowly. I don't want to open my eyes again, but I do anyway, forcing them wider bit by bit. In the trees I see an archer clutching his chest, blood soaking his clothing. The life leaves his eyes, and he collapses, first to his knees, then flat on his face. I look away.

I hear myself breathing. In. And out. But it sounds strange, sort of… fluid. And there's this dreadful pounding sounding in my ears, and my stomach hurts. I'm so… I'm so hot, but I'm shivering. I can't stop shivering. A face suddenly appears above me. His expression is filled with terror. He has long gray hair, braided and carefully tied at his back. It takes me a minute to remember his name. Jakob. That's right. My beautiful Jakob. I want to smile, but I just don't have the strength. I breathe his name instead, carefully making my mouth form those two simple syllables. But the blackness is nearly blocking out my vision now, and when I blink a second time, I can't open my eyes again.

I awake to a pain that throbs with each beat of my heart. I groan, and immediately realize how terribly, terribly thirsty I am. I hear my name spoken, and I feel my hand tightly clasped between someone else's. I crack my eyes open slowly, cautiously, and blink a few times to clear my vision. Hovering over me is Jakob, concern written all over his face, and I realize it's his hands that are clasping mine.

I try to say his name, but my mouth is so dry I can't speak. A light turns on in his eyes, and he says "Water, of course." He sets my hand down softly and moves out of sight for a moment. Carefully I try to turn my neck, feeling like my entire body is nearly too stiff and too sore to move at all. With another groan, I manage it, just as Jakob returns with a glass of water. With more gentleness than a mother for her newborn, he slides his arm under my back and lifts me a few inches, putting the glass to my lips. "Slowly, slowly," he mutters anxiously when I try to drink too much too quickly. He keeps the stream of water thin, but I take what I can get.

When I've had enough, he carefully lays me down again, setting the glass on a small table within easy reach. "How are you feeling?" He asks worriedly, his voice thick. "Is there anything I can get for you, do for you? Anything at all?"

I try my voice out, but it's scratchy and croaky. I clear my throat and try again, but it's only slightly improved. "I'm… achy. But I'm alive, which is more than I expected." I try a smile, but Jakob's frown deepens, and his eyes glisten with tears. I wince. He must have been worried about me. I shouldn't have said that. "As for what you can do for me," I rasp, lifting my hand a few inches. "You can take my hand in yours again." He does, immediately, clasping it tightly. He raises it to his lips and places a small kiss on my thumb as he sits in a chair right next to me. Absently I wonder how long he's been sitting there watching over me. I suspect it's been quite a while, and my heart swells at the thought.

"My Lady…" Jakob starts cautiously, his shining eyes searching my face. "I know I should let you rest, but I can't… I can't wait. Please forgive me, but I have to ask. Why… Why did you do it?"

I know what he means, of course. How could I not? But heat creeps into my cheeks, and I feel foolish for blushing at a time like this, so I reply with, "What do you mean?"

He searches for words, but it takes him a moment to form any. "My life. You… You saved my life by throwing yourself in front of me. You took an arrow that very nearly killed you…" He swallows thickly. "You did that for me..." Shaking his head in confusion, "Why?"

My blush deepens, and I want to look away from him, but… But his dark eyes hold mine, and I can't look away. "Isn't it obvious?" I murmur.

He lays my hand down and moves so close to me, he fills my vision. He cups my cheek. "I-I don't know," he whispers. "I've been sitting here for hours, not knowing if you were going to wake up. The entire time I've been wondering, warring within myself. Why did you do it? …Why did you do it? You have to tell me. I can hardly let myself hope unless I hear the words."

"Jakob," I sigh. "My dear sweet Jakob." I hesitate, but there's no other way of saying it. There's no possible way of being subtle after I nearly killed myself to save him. I look at him carefully and speak the truth. "I love you."

His eyes shut at my words, his mouth forming a grimace as his fingernails gently scrape across my cheek, and I can't tell what he's thinking. This was not the immediate reaction I was hoping for. Is he… Is he upset? Dismayed? Angry? The tears he had been holding back finally spill down his cheeks, and I flinch at the sight of them. "Jakob?" I whisper, confused.

"Oh, Corrin," he groans. "Oh, Corrin," he repeats and sloppily kisses my jaw. His tears fall on my cheek, and he kisses my skin where they land, his expression only able to be described as reverential worship. His fingers curl against my face just as a tear lands on my lips. I taste salt as he looks as me. He hesitates for only a moment before crushing his mouth to mine, kissing me hard. I taste more salt on his lips and on his tongue, and I arch back instinctively, allowing him better access. He groans again, deepening his kiss until I can't think straight.

I'm full of pins and needles and absolutely breathless. But I don't want him to stop. My arms wind around his shoulders, weakly pulling him closer as he holds my face in his hands. My skin is wet with his tears and his warm kisses, and if I had the strength, I'd pull him down and sit on top of him and wrap my arms around him and kiss him until he no longer had the heart to cry.

Instead, he trails kisses along my skin, and slides onto the bed, laying along the small space of the mattress next to me. He looks at me with a mix of such pain and such adoration that he takes my breath away. "Jakob," I whisper, touching his face.

"Corrin," he replies, his voice hoarse. He takes my hand again and squeezes it gently. "You must never again risk your life to save mine. I couldn't live in this world without you. You have no idea how terrified I was… All that blood…" He shuts his eyes in anguish. "I thought I had lost you. You wouldn't wake up. Even when I healed your wounds you were barely breathing." He brings my hand to his face, brushing the back of it against his cheek. "You've been unconscious for two days. I didn't know if you would ever wake up."

 _Two days?_ So long? Only now with Jakob two inches from me do I notice the bags under his eyes, his unkempt hair, his ragged face. Has he slept or eaten at all since I was hurt? Gods, my dear Jakob! No wonder he was crying. He's so tired and drained from hunger and worry that he's probably nearly as weak as I am.

"I'm so sorry," I say. "I'm so sorry I made you worry. In the heat of the battle, I didn't see another way of saving you, and I couldn't… I couldn't let you die. You mean too much to me."

He tenderly kisses my knuckles one by one and then looks at me. "I'm not worthy," he rasps. "I'm not worthy of your love, but I don't have the willpower to leave you. I need you. It's selfish, but I _need_ you, Corrin. I can't live without you."

Words die on my tongue. How do I tell him how I feel? Worthy? He's everything to me. I need him so badly, I'm not sure what I would do if he wasn't with me. Before my lips can form the words to express this, he inches closer to me and buries his face in my neck, kissing there once or twice. His arm loops possessively and protectively over my body, his other hand holding mine, and he just stays there, totally relaxed against me. Within moments his breathing deepens, finally able to let the exhaustion overwhelm him after hours of diligent vigil.

I let out a breath contentedly, happy that he is able to find sleep.

Totally comfortable in his embrace, my own eyes grow heavy, my mind and spirit still worn from my ordeal. I blink slowly, but before I drift off, I have to tell him. I squeeze Jakob's hand and whisper to his sleeping form simply, "You _are_ worthy, Jakob. You are worthy."


	2. Chapter 2

When I awake, I am comfortably warm. My stomach still throbs, and I'm so stiff, I feel like an invalid, but I'm safe, and Jakob's safe, and that's all that matters.

I open my eyes cautiously. Jakob's arm is still looped over me. His breath warms my neck, and I smile, the memories of earlier drifting pleasantly through my mind. It wasn't exactly how I had imagined telling him how I feel… but it was perfect nonetheless. I want to let him rest for as long as he can, but I also wish he were awake now so I could hold him and tell him how much he means to me.

Moving the least bit so as not to disturb him, I glance at the window, wondering what time it is. It's dark, but there's also the barest amount of light to see by so I'm not entirely sure if it's nightfall or early morning.

A small sound reaches my ears, and I look up. The door inches open, and Azura comes in. She sees me awake, and silently clasps her hands, relief in her eyes. I work up a smile at her. Biting her lip, she gestures at Jakob, her eyebrow raised, and I gather she's asking me if I want her to do something about him. Smiling wider, I barely shake my head no. She grins broadly back at me and nods, understanding. Giving me a small wave, she creeps out of the door, closing it quietly behind her.

That's good. She'll be sure to tell everyone that I'm ok, but that I'm not to be disturbed for a little while longer.

Jakob's hand twitches on mine, and he takes a deep breath. Shifting, he pulls from my neck, blinking slowly as he wakes up. He looks as me, and his mouth twitches. "Corrin." He says.

I smile at him. "Good morning. Or night. I'm not actually sure what time it is."

His palm touches my cheek. "Good morning," he replies, eyes memorizing my face as if this is the first time he's seen me. "Have you been awake long?"

"Only a few minutes."

"How do you feel?" His voice betrays his worry.

I look at him. "I'm fine, Jakob."

He knows me. He knows my strengths and weaknesses, my good sides and my bad. He knows my secrets and my desires. He knows the facets of me no one else in the world knows. Sometimes I think he knows me better than I know myself. "You're still in pain," he even sees through my lies.

I hesitate, but I can't really attempt a second falsehood. "Yes… I am, but it's… it's nothing," I try to reassure him.

"It's _not_ nothing," he groans. "If I could, I would exchange places with you in a heartbeat if it meant I no longer had to watch you suffer.

I take a breath, ignoring the spasm of discomfort that comes with it. "Jakob, I'm not sorry for what I did. You must know that. I would do it over again every time if it meant saving your life. This pain is… It _is_ nothing compared to what I would have been suffering if you had left me. All I'm sorry for… Is making you worry. But I'm ok. You can stop worrying because I'm _ok_."

His fingertips brush across my cheek. His hand slides to my neck and then slowly down my shoulder. "I'll never stop worrying about you. That's my job."

Part of me wants to me to tell him to stop it. Stop worrying because it's almost killing me as much as the arrow nearly did… But most of me just wants to curl against him and let him wrap his arms around me and protect me forever.

I should have told him sooner how much I love him.

"Do you want to eat something?" He asks me.

"…Yes," I reply. "But I want you to help me up first."

He tenses. "What?"

"I'm stiff and sore." I explain. "I have to get up."

"You haven't rested enough. You almost _died_."

I squeeze his hand. "Don't worry. I don't plan on going into battle today. I just need to start getting my strength back." The fear doesn't leave his eyes. "Look, I promise you I'll rest all day. I won't leave this room at all. I just need to stand up and walk around a bit."

"…Alright," he acquiesces.

Standing, he gently slides his arm under me, and with my elbows on the mattress, I push myself up into a sitting position. Dizziness hits me, and I sway, shadows crowding around the edges of my vision until the dizziness passes. Jakob steadies me, saying nothing. I slide my legs to the side of the bed. My feet touch the floor. With Jakob holding my arms, I manage to rise shakily to my feet. Instantly hit by another wave of vertigo, I clutch onto him, fighting down the rising nausea that comes with it and taking deep calming breaths.

When it finally passes, I sigh. I'm so weak. I look down at my legs and will them to move. Awkwardly one slides in front of the other, and Jakob takes a step back, still holding onto me, watching me carefully. I take another step and let out another breath. My body feels battered, a side effect of coming back from the brink of death, but at the same time, it's the nicest feeling, simply moving again.

I take another step, and stumble, catching onto Jakob's arms as he steadies me again. I look up at him, at the frown on his mouth, and I wish I could see him smile. It feels like such a long time since I saw him smile. He's always been there for me through everything, and now I want to be there for him, always. I love him so much.

I slide my hands up to his shoulders and around his neck, leaning my weight on him and forcing him to wrap his arms around me to keep me from collapsing. I gaze into his eyes, noticing a fleck of violet there I've never seen before.

I want to be close enough to him to notice it again every single day…

I rise onto my tiptoes, tilt my head, and press my lips against his. He's stiff, frozen against me, seemingly trying not to move a muscle. I breathe against his mouth and kiss him again, from a slightly different angle, my nose brushing across his cheek. A breath. And again. And I'm driving _myself_ crazy with my achingly slow kisses, but Jakob doesn't move. I lock my arms around his neck and pull closer, kissing him a fourth time, a little harder. My teeth scrape across his lip. Shuddering under my touch, he grips me hard and finally surrenders. His arms tightening their hold, he crashes against me, eliminating any control I still had left, and I smile under him, victorious.

He kisses me passionately, his whole body trembling with longing, and he grasps me so firmly, I can barely breathe. My senses are hard pressed to download the assault… Without his support I'm certain I would slowly melt into the floor at my feet.

He breaks from my lips just when I think I might faint… and kisses my chin and leans his forehead against mine as he tries to catch his breath. His voice is rough when he speaks, "I can't resist you."

I just barely shake my head. "I don't want you to, Jakob. How can I explain? I don't want you to." My thoughts are fuzzy, and I'm finding it very difficult to think.

His lips press along my cheekbone before whispering, "I never told you, did I?"

"Tell me what?" I whisper back.

"I love you." An instant passes, and he fervently repeats, "I love you. Everything I am, everything I've been, and everything I will ever be—loves you completely."

My stomach twists, and I hide my face in his neck, and I think I might cry. I just might. His words are too perfect. I press my lips against his throat.

Fighting back the silly tears, I look into his eyes. "You _did_ tell me, Jakob. You told me every day in all the little things you did. In the fresh flowers you put in my room. In the sugar you stirred in my tea. In the way you were always there for me, always protecting me. You told me every day in your smile. You told me every day when you looked at me. I fell in love with you while you were watching over me, and I'm just sorry, so sorry, that it took me sacrificing myself to show you I love you back, to tell you that you mean everything to me. But I won't—I won't make that mistake again. I'll tell you every day how much I love you," I rasp, my voice thick. "Because you mean more to me than life itself, and I love you. I love you so much."

He tries to speak, his mouth moves, but he just can't manage it, and he crushes me to him instead, and I pull his mouth to mine, and in seconds we've utterly lost ourselves to each other. His lips on mine, my hands buried in his tangled, white hair, his arms clutching me to him like I'm the only chance for his survival. And right now, I feel nothing in this world matters. Nothing but Jakob and me. Here in this room, the universe spinning around us and seconds passing us by and our bodies molded together, our kisses desperate… Our souls are one, and I don't think anything will ever be able to drive us apart.


End file.
